A warm welcome for BCO delegates from Chapman Taylor in Manchester

Manchester was bathed in sunshine as our delegates arrived for a packed schedule at the British Council for Offices’ annual conference on the 14th - 16th of June.

Joining from our international studios were Group Board Director Jon Hale and Associate Director Igor Bergmann from Prague and Prokurist Hendrik Wirths from Düsseldorf. They were accompanied by representatives from our UK studios; Group Board Director Tim Partington, Directors Gavin King and Mark Doughty and Senior Interior Designer Michaela O’Hare.

Mark Doughty presented on the BCO tour of Enterprise City and Tim Partington presented on the tour of MediaCity.

Enterprise City is a new commercial neighbourhood located in the St. John’s district of Manchester that comprises a range of diverse spaces to provide infrastructure for growing start-ups, independents and SMEs, to leading global brands. Hosted by Allied London, the tour of Enterprise City took in buildings that are in various stages of development: Bonded Warehouse, ABC Buildings, Transmission, Globe Building, Cube Space, Deuce and Hoops, Campfield Yard, Shipyard, Grape Street Deck, Vita Living and The Factory. Download the Enterprise City app to learn more about these developments.

Participants were treated to a first glimpse inside Manchester Goods Yard, with its impressive 3,250 sqm floor plates. In the reception area, boasting recently installed timber panelling, Mark Doughty shared a film that highlighted the vision for the building that is very much seen as the fulcrum for Enterprise City. It became the first significant new build development on the estate. The film demonstrated the off-site methods of construction employed on the scheme, such as the manufacture of the huge Crittal style windows. This method of construction was fantastic in terms of reducing waste and maximising quality and control.

The tour participants could see for themselves how the use of concrete has created an ‘honest’ building, inspired by the well-established, rich, industrial context on the estate and reminiscent of schemes in Brooklyn, New York. Mark explained further how the USP for Manchester Goods Yard was to attract well-established ‘big name’ brands, to further cement Enterprise City as the place for the digital media and tech industries. With Booking.com already confirmed as a tenant, and the top floor being fitted out as a state-of-the-art workplace for Cloud Imperium Games, it is certainly delivering on its brief.

Exciting times are ahead for MediaCity resulting from the new joint venture partnership between Peel Media and Landsec and the recent publication of Salford City Council’s new 2030 vision for Salford Quays. Tim Partington took attendees of the MediaCity tour through a presentation about how the masterplan has developed over the years and will now continue to evolve and build on MediaCity’s success. Taking into consideration revised priorities in the wake of the Covid pandemic, the next phase of the masterplan places people at the centre, creating a wide variety of open spaces and an improved Quayside Waterfront connection. This emerging masterplan will incorporate ’15-minute city’ principles and will also include a town square, covered all-weather spaces, a greater variety of scale of buildings and will further promote sustainable transport.